The pinnacle of the World Well being Group says the enclave’s infrastructure is being destroyed whereas the UN company warns of rising well being care wants.
The United Nations estimates that about 50,000 pregnant ladies at present dwell in Gaza, with greater than 180 births occurring every day amid the “devastation” of the healthcare system.
In an announcement issued on Sunday, the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated its docs and midwives “are doing the whole lot of their energy to offer care to postpartum and high-risk pregnant ladies in UNRWA’s seven well being centres” – a quantity down from 22. Earlier than the beginning of the bloodiest Israeli assault on Gaza.
Additionally on Sunday, the top of the World Well being Group decried the “destruction” of Gaza’s well being system, whereas praising well being employees there for persevering with to work below harsh circumstances.
“The destruction of Gaza’s well being system is a tragedy,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X, beforehand Twitter.
“Within the face of continued insecurity and an inflow of wounded sufferers, we see docs, nurses, ambulance drivers and others persevering with to attempt to avoid wasting lives,” he added, reiterating requires a direct ceasefire.
The destruction of the #Gaza The well being system is a tragedy.
However within the face of persistent insecurity and an inflow of wounded sufferers, docs, nurses, ambulance drivers and others proceed to attempt to avoid wasting lives.@from Our well being companions will proceed to work aspect by aspect… pic.twitter.com/Lq62KoQI1f
– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 24, 2023
The company warned that regardless of rising well being care wants, solely 38 p.c of pre-conflict hospital beds remained out there within the Palestinian territories and solely 30 p.c of indigenous well being employees had been nonetheless working.
In the meantime, hospitals, protected below worldwide humanitarian legislation, have been repeatedly bombed by Israeli strikes for the reason that outbreak of struggle.
As of December 20, the World Well being Group recorded 246 Israeli assaults on healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, together with hospitals and ambulances.
Earlier this week, the World Well being Group described “insufferable” scenes of largely deserted sufferers begging for meals and water after its groups visited two badly broken hospitals in northern Gaza, the place the struggle is its deadliest.
The UN physique stated solely 9 of 36 hospitals had been partially functioning throughout the besieged space – and none within the north – as Israel continued to focus on medical services.
About 80 p.c of Gaza’s inhabitants of two.3 million have been displaced to southern Gaza, the place tens of 1000’s are crammed into UN colleges or sheltering from the chilly in makeshift tents.
At the very least 20,424 Palestinians have been killed within the 11-week struggle, 166 of them prior to now 24 hours, in keeping with Gaza officers. Tens of 1000’s had been injured whereas many our bodies stay trapped below the rubble.
